


When a Princess Comes A-Knocking

by madrastic



Series: 14 Day Quarantine [8]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bathtub Sex, Begging, F/F, Grinding, Kissing, Masturbation Interruptus, Mutual Pining, Orcs, Princes & Princesses, Royalty, Sexual Inexperience, Slow Build, Strip Tease, Vaginal Fingering, well half-orcs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:15:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25093729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madrastic/pseuds/madrastic
Summary: Aidiafinallygot some time to herself. That is, until there's a knock at the door in the middle of the night.Day 8: Begging
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: 14 Day Quarantine [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808296
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13
Collections: 14 Day Quarantine





	When a Princess Comes A-Knocking

**Author's Note:**

> yes this is spoilers for book 2 kinda but also i finally get to have an aidia bonus scene!!

Aidia wasn’t in love with the princess. That was crazy talk; the two of them had nothing in common at all. Aidia was a half-orc bastard child and Adira was the adopted Humanish daughter of the royal family, there was no way at all that Aidia would be able to love her. She should hate her. Everything Aidia’s mother had drilled into her screamed that at the top of its lungs.

Aidia should hate the royal family, the princess and all. Humanish people weren’t suitable partners. They would only be promiscuous and dangerous. A nice, polite elf that tolerated Aidia’s… unfortunate qualities… would be the best partner for her if she ever wanted to be anything in life, so said her mother.

And yet, here Aidia was, not daydreaming about a handsome Elven woman that rode in atop a dappled horse and asked for Aidia’s hand, ready to place her on the throne as her heritage demanded, but of the princess, not even the blood relation of royalty and almost certainly not being given the throne when she turned of age. Creator, she was hardly a part of the three noble dynasties, Aidia had more of a claim than her.

Oh, but Adira’s hair looked soft. Above all else, that was what pinned itself to the front of the half-orc’s mind. Her hair looked so soft. It had been dyed a pale pink, the best stylists in the kingdom working to preserve the color for as long as possible. The first time she had changed its color from the natural brown, there had been a national scandal. Princesses didn’t alter their appearances so drastically, especially not during Essren the Burner’s reign. It was almost comical how different Queen Malaidor was from her predecessor, how unashamedly she did away with tradition.

Instead of pointed ears and pale eyes, Aidia found herself thinking of the princess’s characteristic smile, white teeth with black canines, a splotch of blue on her tongue from some trace of Dwarven heritage somewhere in there. She was unique in the way that all Humanish people were, eyes naturally dark violet, glinting in the dark like those of an orc’s, hard to forget and harder to keep out of one’s head.

Sighing, Aidia let herself sink lower into her bath, the fragrant water hot and steaming. It was quite nice of the Elven Queen to let them all stay, even if she suspected the truth of Aidia’s parentage. She wasn’t much to look at, luckily more Elven in appearance than one could expect. Aidia didn’t have the characteristic black sclerae of an orc, no, just pale grey eyes that would be pretty had she been an elf. Her hair, too, was a light, Elven color. Her mother could never figure out how to handle it, so it had been cropped short since childhood, lessening the risk of mats and tangles.

Her pale green skin, though, that gave her away. That and the two little tusks she was steadily growing back from the last time she had filed them down. Maybe there was a person in the capital that would be willing to help with that—there had to be, from how many cultures and peoples were mixing here. There must be at least one person here to help her look presentable.

Presentable for the princess. With a groan, Aidia pushed her hair out of her eyes, rubbing her brow. The traitorous little voice in her head took this moment to pipe up, to ask her to consider having some time to herself. When was the next time she was going to be alone for any significant portion of time? Her trio of companions had gone out for a date night and, after either a bar crawl or a three-hour long restaurant dinner, would be coming home to Ahren’s rooms for a night together. In all honesty, Aidia would not be missing overhearing them having the “continuation” of their date.

It would be… nice… if Aidia could have a continuation of her own. She was late to the dating game. Her mother had kept her under a rather short leash, and it had only been in the last year that Aidia had been able to meet other people much, if at all. And now, she wanted to meet the princess, in the private sense. Oh boy.

As her hand trailed boldly down, picking across her stomach as Aidia’s body insisted on attention, on contact, on relief, a trickle of shame wove through her. This was wrong; this wasn’t how she was taught to behave. Well, if Aidia had been one to curse, she would have told that voice in her head to shove it and leave her alone, that she could do whatever she liked with her body, anyway. It wasn’t like there was anyone here to see her, anyone here to blame her for something fully in her control.

Feathering her fingers along the insides of her thighs under the water, Aidia found herself wishing that she'd had the guts to do this more often, to bunker up and satiate herself just as often as her companions did with each other. They didn’t seem to have much trouble—well, Ahren did. That dragon was probably more repressed than her, despite all odds. It had taken him time to be able to ask for what he wanted, and Aidia should know. He certainly spent a lot of time in her room, terrified to ask Holly to help him learn to give a blowjob. It was kind of adorable, at this point, the fervor he tried to please his partners with.

No. No thinking about Ahren while Aidia masturbated. That wasn’t allowed. Not Ahren, or Holly, or Marsh. None of those three. That would just make things awkward. Um… okay… what did people normally think about. Things they found arousing, people they found attractive, all of that, right? So… um… Aidia could think about someone touching her and kissing her and—not the princess,  _ not the princess— _

A knock on Aidia’s chamber doors started her out of her thoughts, fingers tracing around her clit like they were scared to give into the arousal. She should probably answer that. It could be something important. It was almost certainly something important, none of the trio should have been back by now, not that they knocked anyway.

With a shout of “one minute!” Aidia grabbed a bathrobe as she rose out of the water, ignoring the way she looked in the mirror. The last thing she needed was to be reminded of how easily she took on muscle, her genetics looking to screw her over. At this rate, she was going to look like a dragon, with how much she was exercising. How could she help it that Ahren wanted a buddy, a friend with him to help fulfill doctor’s orders?

A pale blue robe covered all of the essential bits and then some as Aidia dripped her way to the door. The rooms all of them had been afforded were just gigantic, more than enough for anything that they might need. Truly, what the royal family expected them to do with four rooms, each half the size of Marsh’s entire cabin, Aidia didn’t know.

Opening the door, Princess Adira’s face greeted her. Destroyer spare her, Princess Adira was at her door, and Aidia was half-naked. Nonsensically, a very dumb part of Aidia’s brain worried if Adira could hear her thoughts, could hear the things she had been trying so very hard not to let inside her mind. This was her punishment—this was the retribution she was going to face for being so daring. Adira was going to tell her, without any uncertain terms, that Aidia had to leave and never come back. Her past had been found out.

“Oh! Um, I can come back at another time.” The princess said, like Aidia wasn’t trying to force the blush out of her cheeks enough to speak.

“N-no, it’s alright, please come in, Princess.” The words exited her mouth without any permission from Aidia. “It’s no trouble at all.”

As if in a daze, the half-orc stepped back, letting the princess inside. She looked lovely, as always. Her chemise, a creamy white, artfully draped off of her form, highlighting her toned, athletic figure. Princess Adira was never one for indoor activities. A few buttons had been left undone at the top, exposing the smooth skin of her chest, collarbone on full display. Aidia would have been slapped for daring to go out in something so revealing. A dark band of cloth, partially visible through the fabric of the chemise, kept the princess’s chest supported, not dissimilar to the conventional style of travelers and people out to the west. Interesting. So, she was less a fan of Elven styles than Aidia thought.

Dark pants hung close to Adira’s form, emphasizing the muscles of her legs but leaving her able to move around freely, shoes something closer to boots. More than anything, this outfit was selected for comfort and freedom, rather than dignity and formality. It was interesting, how Adira had become well known for being more of a free spirit than her parents, for choosing comfort over the traditional finery—not that the clothes weren’t more expensive than anything Aidia had ever seen. One more reason Adira wasn’t getting the crown.

Clearing her throat, Aidia realized that the two of them had sat down at the low table she had been afforded. This was awkward. Aidia was making this awkward. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Er, I was just wondering something, but if it’s a bad time right now, then I can be out of your hair.” Even in doubt, her voice was the pinnacle of what Aidia was supposed to have been, polished and perfect.

With a shake of her head, Aidia was surely giving away her cards. “It’s completely alright, is something wrong?” What a fool she would make of herself to have a second more of Adira’s time.

“I was just curious…” Adira’s eyes slipped from hers. Oh, so Aidia had done something wrong indeed. “Would you like to spend some time with me? I had a nice time with the films, and I enjoy talking with you, so… um…”

Well, that certainly brought every thought in Aidia’s mind to a halt. The princess wanted to spend time with her. Was this a date. Were they on a date right now. Had Aidia been tricked into going on a date in a bathrobe. Was this what was happening right now, while her heart pounded out of her chest and her blood rushed in her ears, trying to provide another second of processing time.

Evidently, that had gone on for too long, with how Adira’s face fell. “It’s okay, you can say ‘no’ to me. I don’t mind.”

“I’d love to.” Aidia burst out, trying to keep up with this simple conversation. “I mean—to spend time with you. I’d love to spend time with you, not tell you ‘no’ and I—” She had spoken for too much. Those were too many words. She was babbling. “I’m sorry. I’ll… um… I’ll be quiet now.”

The princess’s laugh could end the world and bring it right back. “No, please don’t. I like the things you say, you’re very well spoken.”

“Oh, thank you. You are as well.” Aidia was being complimented by the princess. What.

“Would you…” A faint blush danced its way along Adira’s cheeks. “Would you like to spend the night with me?”

Oh. _Oh._ _Oh no_.

The princess. The princess of the country Aidia was a citizen of, Aidia’s princess, wanted to spend the night with her. This had to be some kind of test, even if Queen Malaidor didn’t seem sick enough to send her own daughter to Aidia’s quarters to see if she would lay with her. This couldn’t be happening because of anything genuine. Adira was the  _ princess _ , for the Wanderer’s sake, she had the choice of any hand in the country, and several nobles out of it. Why would she want a bastard half-orc?

“Why?” Aidia asked, like some kind of idiot.

It seemed to take Adira off guard, the question. “Why?

“Why me? With all due respect, Princess—”

“Adira.” She corrected.

That was so familiar it was practically obscene. “…Adira, you could spend the night with anyone you’d like, why spend it with me? Surely, I couldn’t have been that exciting.”

Her head tilted, eyes confused. “I want to spend it with you because I rather like you. If I may be candid, I think that you’re an attractive, intelligent woman. I choose you. That and your stories of your trip out here—I must say, they’re far less dry than the newest courtly gossip or trade dramas that I can provide for you.”

“I would love to hear some courtly gossip and trade drama.” Aidia was surprised with how genuine the statement was.

A smile lit up Adira’s face. “Then we’ll swap, in that case. I’ll tell you all the lurid details about the most recent sex scandal, and you tell me about all the interesting things you’ve seen. And the boring things, too. I want to hear all about it.”

If only Aidia’s body would be quiet about the way her insides shifted every time Adira spoke, reminding her how she hadn’t finished what she set out to do. It wasn’t like Aidia hadn’t thought about it before, that waist under her hands, sweetly scented hair under her chin, soft lips—Nope. Not while she was talking to the princess and definitely not staring at her lips like some kind of creep. Aidia had standards for herself in public.

“Or, I could kiss you.” That certainly cut through Aidia’s thoughts like a hot knife through a pat of butter.

“My apologies?” Her voice cracked like a traitor. Aidia  _ had _ to have misheard.

A sly grin spread across Adira’s face as she rested her cheek on her knuckles. “I  _ said _ that we could talk the night away, or you could listen to what I was saying, or I could kiss you. I take it the last suggestion sounds appealing?”

Aidia’s voice was a squeak of a thing. “It might be nice, yes.”

“May I, in that case?” The princess sat up, her arms dutifully folded on the table between them.

Screw it. “Yes.”

With a smile, Adira slid onto the short table, bracketing the taller half-orc with her legs as she leaned down to kiss Aidia, chaste and slow. Her lips were  _ so _ soft that Aidia thought she was going to lose her mind. This is what the afterlife looked like, Aidia had surely died, drowned in the bath or something like that and now she was having a vision of the thing she desired most. She was kissing the princess.

All too soon, Adira pulled back. “Is that alright?”

How could Aidia argue with her like that, when the princess was framed by the lanterns like some kind of old god, unnervingly powerful, violet eyes glinting down at her. It made Aidia feel unworthy, like she needed to worship at Adira’s feet for it to even be acceptable for her to spend a moment with her.

“Very alright.” Was what she said instead, a confidence she didn’t possess in her voice.

A thought flickered across Adira’s face and she let herself slip off of the table, landing in Aidia’s lap as though she had practiced this a million times previous. “Oops. Looks like I fell.”

Adira’s tone was not apologetic in the slightest. She was so close, resting her weight against Aidia’s chest, the two of them only separated by Adira’s clothing and Aidia’s bathrobe. This… this wasn’t how a stay in the palace should have gone. Who could have anticipated an entire princess in Aidia’s lap like this, resting her hands on the half-orc’s waist like this was nothing at all. Pressing her legs tighter together, Aidia tried not to flush, tried not to think about the flame that had just awakened inside her. That would just end poorly.

“I like you Aidia, I like you a lot.” The princess was smiling, almost predatory, and all Aidia could think about was how she smelled like mint and jasmine and oils.

Shoving sense back into her mind, she tried to breathe as shallowly as possible, giving her princess as much space as she needed. This was surely an accident, somehow. “I like you too, my Princess.”

“Adira.” Hands cupped Aidia’s jaw, strong and surprisingly calloused. Well, the princess had always been a fan of outdoor activities. “Call me Adira.”

“I-I like you too, Adira.” Aidia couldn’t help but feel that they were doing something illicit, something forbidden.

Something akin to a happy noise sounded in Adira’s chest, and those blessed lips were on hers again, more insistent this time, more searching. As if snapping out of a trance, Aidia kissed back. If this was a dream, might as well dream it to the fullest. It would be a waste to spend it waffling and worried about whether or not this was allowed. The princess was strong willed and, at times, crass. She would tell her if she messed something up.

Any rational thought fled Aidia’s mind when Adira licked into her mouth, deepening the kiss like the half-orc woman was the only thing she had ever yearned for, the only light in her world. It was incredible the way she did that, the way Adira made Aidia feel like there was nothing extant but the two of them, no one to worry about, no one to walk in on them. Fingers curled against the back of Aidia’s neck, pulling her body closer to Adira’s, squeezing out the last shreds of personal space between them. It wasn’t like the two of them were using it much, anyway.

It was Aidia that pulled back first, breathing hard and blushing harder. “I—I’m sorry.”

Royal brows drew together. “What are you apologizing for?”

“I-I’m not sure, but I’m sorry nonetheless.”

Adira shifted, and Aidia resisted the urge to touch a body so far above her station that it would be a crime to even  _ humor _ the thought of laying a finger on it.

“I think—and this is just my personal opinion—that you should stop worrying about propriety and we just have some fun together; wouldn’t that be nice?” Her smile could persuade the sea to dry up, the desert to weep. There was no chance at all for Aidia to resist.

That would be very nice indeed. “I wouldn’t be opposed.”

“Then why don’t you help me out of these? Please?” Deceptively strong fingers played at the neckline of Adira’s chemise, the princess knowing just how to handle herself.

Swallowing around a suddenly dry mouth, Aidia nodded, hands clumsy as she undid the tiny, alabaster buttons. How Adira had managed to get this on in the first place was a mystery. With each button, though, more of that soft skin was revealed, a freckle marking it here and there where the lips of the Wanderer had kissed Adira as an infant. A many-blessed person was quite a lucky one, if they followed the trinity.

As Aidia pulled Adira’s shirt over her head, the princess undid her pants. Without thinking, Aidia tossed it aside, letting Adira press her lips to the half-orc’s neck, kissing and sucking and nipping like she was never going to see her again. It was all so much, enough to make Aidia’s breath stutter and hitch, little sounds of pleasure escaping her throat. Her princess was so skilled, far better than any of Aidia’s half-baked fantasies, never fully thought out. Grinding herself on Aidia’s thigh, Adira moaned, unashamed, unabashed. To Aidia’s ears, it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

“Why don’t we—” It was hard to speak with a mouth on her neck, Aidia realized, distracting her from what she wanted to say. “Why don’t we move this to the bed.” That was what people did in this situation, right? Moved things to the bed?

Adira’s laugh was going to ring in Aidia’s head until the day she died. The Humanish woman pulled back, tucking a stray lock of hair behind the shell of Aidia’s pointed ear like it was nothing at all. “I think that, unless you want a completely soaked bed, we do it in the bath. It isn’t like the water is going anywhere, is it?”

“That would… that would be better, yes.” Cheeks burning, it was hard to tamp down the embarrassment. Aidia should have been smarter than that, suggesting the bed when she was all wet. At least she could blame her flush on the hot water in the bath.

With a smile, the princess got off of Aidia, stepping out of her pants as they fell, having toed out of her boots at some point. The proceedings had been quite distracting. It took everything in Aidia and then some not to stare—that is to say, Aidia was very much staring. The way Adira’s underwear clung to the swell of her ass bordered on indecent, the black fabric doing nothing to hide her form in any way. Powerful legs and toned back muscles greeted her as Adira put her hair up into a loose bun, not partial to getting her hair wet in someone else’s chambers.

Politely, Aidia’s brain reminded her that she was supposed to be getting up now. Right. Standing up, she followed the princess to the bathroom with tentative steps. One false move and whatever Aidia had managed to set into motion would all collapse into shards around her, a mirror destroyed in its own making, spilling glass all over the floor.

As Aidia closed the door, Adira turned, playing at where the band of fabric around her breasts had been tucked into itself. “Can you help me with this?”

Well, that certainly made her heart leap into her throat. With unsteady hands, Aidia tugged the fabric out from where it had been folded, unwinding it with the utmost care. The princess’s fingers looped through the belt holding Aidia’s robe, an inquiring look in those damnable eyes. She was going to be Aidia’s undoing, she was going to be the reason Aidia would be crawling back home to her mother with her tail between her legs, would have to face the disappointment of failure after being thrown out to complete her destiny.

She let the robe slip from her shoulders, falling onto the floor as it revealed her body. Biting her lip, Adira’s eyes took in the sight before her, not a trace of disgust or revulsion on her face. It was incredible that she could even  _ consider _ Aidia to be a suitable partner, but who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As the princess pulled down her underwear, Aidia did her very best to resist the urge to stare at gorgeous skin. Princess Adira was the pinnacle of beauty, the woman who set fashion trends for the youth without a second thought. She had any article of clothing she wanted, all the best facilities in the world to train, to exercise, the best doctors, the best diet. It was incredible what all of that could do to a Humanish person, a people known for their ragged, odd appearances.

“Why don’t you get in the bath? Better to be warm then cold, right?” The princess’s tone was jovial and light, like windchimes and marketplaces.

Without a second thought, Aidia found herself nodding, easing herself into the bath. The water was warm, protecting against the chill outside. Winter was coming on fast and hard, the snowfall only exacerbated by the ocean at the city’s east. It was going to be getting quite cold, soon, cold enough that Aidia was going to be looking into investing into a thicker jacket and—this was not what Aidia was supposed to be thinking of when she was naked in the same room as the princess, getting comfortable in her bathtub.

Adira’s motions were easy as she crossed over to the tub, leaning over the rim as she pressed her lips to Aidia’s, her kisses insistent and encouraging. It was like she was trying to let her know that Aidia could do no wrong right now, that Aidia was allowed to enjoy herself. A heretical thought, for sure, but, under this kind of attention, what could she do but accept it and take it, kissing back as a soft hand cupped her cheek, thumb running across her cheekbone. This is what Adira liked, it seemed.

Lowering herself into the water, the princess could have been an old god, for all Aidia knew. The very ends of her hair floated through in the bath like seaweed, like grassy plains in the wind. She was a jewel, a gem, fit to be put atop a crown. This was a sight that few would see, fewer experience, and here Aidia was, getting a front row seat.

With slow, steady motions, she let her hips settle on one of Aidia’s thighs, one knee slotting between Aidia’s legs. It would have been awkward to do it otherwise—despite the lavishness, the bathtub was not the largest thing in the world, especially not when it was filled with two people.

Adira was divine like this, backlit by lanterns and completely naked. If she had asked Aidia to worship, well, she wouldn’t have stood a chance. It was as if she were made of sunlight and starlight, a reincarnation of the Dogstar come to walk the dirt again. This was better than any dream Aidia could ever think to have, better than any fantasy she could imagine.

Lips against hers brought her to the present, hands on her body encouraging her to let her calloused palms graze against Adira’s hips. The princess pushed into the half-orc, dragging her crotch against Aidia’s thigh as she put pressure on Aidia’s clit with her own. It was incredible, how she just knew how to make the woman’s body respond with sparks. More. Aidia needed more.

In a fit of daring boldness, Aidia let her hands wander across the princess’s back, squeezing her ass as the half-orc rocked her own hips on the princess’s thigh. With a laugh that gods could envy, Adira dove back in for a kiss, deep and lustful and full of all things that she desired. Her hands cupped Aidia’s chest, teasing at nipples and eliminating the space between them as easy as breathing, dragging her hips against Aidia’s leg like it wasn’t the most debased thing the half-orc had ever seen.

“P-please.” Aidia stuttered out against royal lips. “Please…” What she was pleading for, the Wanderer only knew.

Those soft lips moved to kiss at Aidia’s jaw, one hand leaving to run through her hair. “You are  _ so _ pretty, did you know that?”

It was a joke, but Aidia couldn’t bring herself to care. If the princess wanted to make jokes at Aidia’s expense, it was fine so long as she didn’t stop doing this, so long as she kept lavishing attention and pleasure onto Aidia. Adira could call her a swine, could call her a stiff-eared demon spawn, could call her an atrocity sent from beyond the stars, but so long as her hands didn’t stop, her leg didn’t leave the junction of Aidia’s thighs, she would be more than happy to rut into it like an animal in heat, bound by her own instincts.

The other hand shifted down with slow motions, Adira walking her fingers across the soft muscle of Aidia’s stomach to brush against her clit. The thought of royal fingers on her in that way was intoxicating, bordering on scandalous. The royal dynasty should not lie with crossbreeds, should not lie with people not born of the three dynasties at all. Well… if Aidia was being true to the letter of the law, she should count as a member—but that wasn’t the issue right now and she wasn’t going to spend the night thinking about dynastic politics when the princess of Galailan was in her bathroom, rubbing patient circles against Aidia’s clit like they had all the time in the world.

Choking back a moan, Aidia let her fingers dig into Adira’s back, pulling her closer. It was so much, the stimulation, the heat of the water, the quiet praises Adira crooned at her. She was going to die, Aidia was going to die right now, and no one would be the wiser. At least it wouldn’t be too much of a bad death, being fucked right into the afterlife.

“Pr—Adira,” she gasped, clever eyes watching over her, “p-please, if you could do that just a little harder—”

“Harder you say?” There was enough innocence in Adira’s voice that Aidia would happily let herself burn in it.

When those damnable fingers fulfilled Aidia’s request perfectly, she had to groan, burying her face into Adira’s neck, breathing in the princess’s scent and perfume. Returning the favor would be polite, that was just basic manners. Carefully, Aidia feathered her thumb over the princess’s own clit, drawing a gasp and a pleased hum out of the owner.

“You’ll have to be less gentle than that, Aidia.” Her name on the royal tongue was a drug. “I won’t be breaking any time soon, I can promise you that.”

More, that was something she could do. Applying more pressure caused the hand at her crotch to reciprocate, letting Aidia know how well she was doing using the most base of rewards. It was ingeniously helpful, in all truth. Hands sped up and moans became more frequent, growing in volume.

The princess was unashamedly vocal, a far cry from Aidia. It was… difficult… to convince herself to make more noise, so Aidia let herself gasp out praises and pleads instead, face no doubt a blushing mess as the princess took her apart without much effort. What she must look like to her, perfectly happy to hump her thigh like a dog. Well, so was the princess, if anyone was keeping track. How comical.

All too soon, Aidia’s muscles were jumping as her hips bucked against the princess’s hand, groaning out her name over and over again as a flash of pleasure ran through her, Adira stroking her gently throughout it all. This was far better than anything Aidia had done to herself, too afraid to make noise or imagine anything besides the blandest, most chaste fairy tale scenario.

Coming down with blood rushing in her ears and breath fast, Aidia found her hand being moved aside by the princess’s. Wait, that wasn’t right. Both partners were supposed to orgasm, that was what typically happened in all those romances. Both partners orgasmed and then spent the rest of the night with each other, sleeping in their arms or sneaking out to ensure that feuding families didn’t find out. Or, at least, that was how Ahren recounted what happened in those books he liked so much.

“But… but you didn’t—” Aidia heard herself saying, confused to the end of the world and back.

Adira just smiled, almost nervously. “It’s alright, um, I’m on some medication that makes it a bit challenging to orgasm and we’ll be here all night if we wait for me. I don’t mind, really.” Those hands smoothed down Aidia’s hair, fixing it where they had messed it up.

All Aidia could do was blink. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? I had a nice time.” It was incredible how the princess could say that like she wasn’t currently sitting atop Aidia, naked.

As if realizing that, she blushed, straightening and getting up. Before Aidia could say anything, she was already apologizing, grabbing an extra towel and patting herself dry like she was worried about being kicked out if she overstayed her welcome. It was a ridiculous concept, in Aidia’s opinion. This was her  _ palace _ , if anything, it was Aidia who was going to be told to leave.

“I’ll be out of your hair, I’m so sorry for barging in like this.” Adira was saying. “I—um—I did have a very nice time and if you, um, would like to do this again I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Aidia’s cheeks darkened impossibly more as she sat up, hands tight on the rim of the tub. “Y-you can stay if you’d like. I wouldn’t mind.”

A pregnant pause floated between them.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be the end of the world.” Was said, though the tone read something closer to “I am so happy that you said this, even though I’m likely going to creep out in the early morning”.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be.” Aidia replied, though the undercurrent of the message was: “I know you will, so I’ll pretend to be sleeping so that you can save face.”

With deceptively fluid movements, Adira knelt at the edge of the tub, folding her arms on the rim and resting her cheek on them, looking up at Aidia with big, wide eyes. “Would you care to tell me those tales, now?”

Oh, it was impossible to resist that woman. “Only if you promise to tell me about the drama later.”

Damn anyone who called that stunning smile “unnatural”. The unnatural thing about it was how readily it made Aidia’s heart skip a beat every time she saw its shine. She wasn't in love.  


**Author's Note:**

> liked these characters? see more of them in [Wolfsbane!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25490305/chapters/61835116)


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